1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a sharps container, and more particularly, to a sharps container for removing and containing a plurality of types of sharps including blades from round scalpel handles.
2. Description of the Related Art
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that due to unsafe needle devices and improper handling of needles and other sharps (e.g., scalpel blades), hospital employees are subject to a significant hazard from blood borne pathogens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year, hospital employees incur approximately 385,000 sharps injuries.
Accordingly, various devices are currently in use to improve user safety and efficiency with respect to the use and disposal of sharp surgical instruments (“sharps”), such as suture needles, hypodermic needles and scalpel blades.
Current sharps remover/container designs comprise a device enabling single-handed removal of a specific type of surgical blade that is coupled to a containment volume for containing the removed sharp, i.e., enabling removal and disposal of a surgical blade from a handle without touching the blade. Such blades are generally removably attached to a reusable scalpel handle. As is well known, such surgical blades have an elongate slot centered in their rear portion that is dimensioned to releasably engage a tang or raised landing in the handle portion, so as to enable a secure, yet removable, press-fit attachment of the blade to the handle. The remover/container disengages the blade from the handle and the disengaged blade drops into the containment volume.
Surgical blades are also mounted in round scalpel handles (RSH). One such RSH blade is a BEAVER® blade available from BEAVER Visitec International of Waltham, Mass. Other manufactures make similar blades for an RSH. An RSH blade is any scalpel blade of the type that is removably secured to a round handle by a chuck or collet. Rotation of the handle causes the chuck to close about a mounting portion of the blade. Rotating the handle in the opposite direction opens the chuck and releases the blade from the RSH. Although there are sharps containers that facilitate removal and containment of standard (scalpel blades, needles, sutures, and the like, there are no sharps containers for removing and containing an RSH blade.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that enables removal and disposal of blades from round scalpel handles.